Maple Leaf Mel is euthanized; Pretty Mischievous wins Test
Maple Leaf Mel fell just before reaching the wire a winner Saturday in the Grade 1, $500,000 Test Stakes, and had to be euthanized.
Godolphin homebred Pretty Mischievous crossed the wire first after the incident, posting a head victory by a head over Clearly Unhinged in the seven furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.
Maple Leaf Mel buckled just before the finish line of the seven-furlong race for3-year-old fillies. She tumbled forward and rolled to her right, unseating jockey Joel Rosario and leaving him lying on his back on the finish line. The other riders managed to avoid Rosario, who walked off the track. He was taken to Albany Medical Center for further evaluation and to receive stitches for facial scrapes and a cut lower lip, according to a track spokesperson.
“The New York Racing Association is saddened to report that Maple Leaf Mel sustained a catastrophic injury to her right front leg,” a NYRA statement said. “Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the filly was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury.”
New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel, trained by and named for Melanie Giddings, led the seven-horse field through every point of call and was drawing away from the rest of the field before sustaining a catastrophic injury to her leg just strides from the wire.
Pretty Mischievous, who closed from fifth at the top of the stretch, notched her third consecutive Grade 1 win, following victories in the Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill Downs and the Acorn on Belmont Stakes Day in June for trainer Brendan Walsh.
Munnys Gold finished third in the Test, with Dorth Vader, Jersey Pearl and Tappin Josie completing the order of finish. Interpolate was scratched.
After wins going route distances, Pretty Mischievous, under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, proved victorious in the graded sprint. Off as the 9-5 favorite, the Into Mischief filly returned $5.70 on a $2 win wager while fortifying her case for divisional supremacy in winning for the seventh time in nine starts.
But Walsh said the thoughts of the connections were extended to Giddings, Rosario and owner August Dawn Farm, led by National Football League Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, for the loss of Maple Leaf Mel.
“It’s just cruel what happened. I just feel terrible for Melanie and that whole team,” Walsh said. “That must be gut-wrenching. My filly ran her race, but that’s another story. I don’t know what to think right now.”
“To be honest I’m a bit lost for words right now,” Gaffalione said. “I feel so bad for the connections of Mel. It’s hard to enjoy this one thinking about that. My condolences go out to their team. Hopefully they’re able to get through this and God bless them.”
Maple Leaf Mel led the field with splits of 22.28 seconds for the quarter-mile, the half in 44.58 seconds and three-quarters in 1:09.34 over the fast main track. The daughter of Cross Traffic had won her first five career starts entering the Test, including back-to-back graded stakes wins with scores in the Miss Preakness (G3) in May at Pimlico and the Victory Ride in July at Belmont.
“Every horse entered to compete at Saratoga Race Course is required to undergo an extensive pre-race veterinary examination before the horse is permitted to race,” NYRA said in its post-race statement.“In addition to physical inspection and observation, regulatory veterinarians perform a detailed review of each horse’s medical records, past performances and workouts. Maple Leaf Mel passed the required pre-race veterinary inspection in accordance with these well-established protocols.
“In the process of investigating this injury, a necropsy will be performed at Cornell University with the results to be analyzed by Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority officials, the New York state equine medical director and NYRA leadership.”
Pretty Mischievous, out of the Grade 1-winning Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer, now owns a 9: 7-1-1 for purse earnings of $1,756,560.
